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The Co-operative

The Co-operative has supported the launch of Fairtrade in the UK and for 20 years has helped develop the market to become the world’s largest.

The Co-operative's Fairtrade Story

The Co-operative is unique in the supermarket sector, being owned by our 8 million customer members and tracing a history of fair trading all the way back to our 170 year old founding values and principles. The business was born from the need for elimination of exploitation of workers and customers alike, and launched a worldwide Movement whose output today is larger than most countries!

Our Fairtrade story is packed with market leading innovation and leadership which have helped prove the commercial viability of Fairtrade to the industry and to drive customer demand and engagement.

From the UK’s first Fairtrade bananas and the world’s very first own brand product to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark, through entire own brand category switches (including sugar, tea, hot chocolate, bananas, roses, winter blueberries and even cotton wool) to our own Beyond Fairtrade programme of supplementary investment in many of our Fairtrade producers, we are proud of our long term and often indirect impact across thousands of farmers and workers in our Fairtrade supply chain.

In going further than the Fairtrade Premium alone we can offer unique co-op to co-op support and with our active members championing Fairtrade in local communities nationwide, our support extends to campaigning, education and advocacy.

Despite being essentially a small store business, we have proven the mass appeal of Fairtrade, and with a shop in every postal address in the UK, we can make Fairtrade products accessible to everyone.

We are proud of what has been achieved but know there is still so much to do and will continue to promote and sell delicious Fairtrade food conveniently.